When you travel, your hotel is your home away from home. Choosing a hotel for a vacation can often feel like a leap of faith, since you will rarely have the luxury of checking out the accommodations before you commit. That’s why choosing the best hotel is absolutely critical to a good vacation or business trip. Part of the challenge of choosing a hotel is the lack of transparency provided by most hotel websites—each one promises to be the best value, the greatest comfort, the most courteous staff, and it’s difficult to know which are being earnest and which are baiting and switching. But another reason why many travelers are dissatisfied with their hotel rooms is that they don’t know what their needs are, thus they don’t know how to look for them or how to ask about them.
For both hotel managers and hotel patrons, understanding the ingredients that culminate in a restful, relaxing hotel stay is vital to getting the most for your money. For most travelers, it all comes down to striking a balance between price, location and amenities. Each of these elements is affected by the other—you’ll pay more for an all-inclusive resort in the heart of Las Vegas than a motel in the suburbs. But by weighing each of these aspects against your priorities, you can quickly rule out hotels that don’t accommodate your specific needs.
Beyond location, value and amenities, there are a number of other special considerations that may or may not apply to you, such as family-friendliness, pet policies, accessibility and business amenities. Make sure you have a list of your needs before calling hotels for more information.